Page 47 - Plastics News February 2025
P. 47
TECHNOLOGY NEWS
processes are rather effective, as they develop
at comparatively low temperatures.
3. Upcycled Plastic Products
Recycling through enzymes is another young
technology being used in upcycling of plastics.
There are particular enzymes identified that are
active to degrade particular kinds of plastics,
mainly PET; these are of molecular weights that
can be returned to their monomers. Once these
monomers are produced then they can be re- Another impressive feature of the upcycling of
claimed to plastic products in the industry. plastics is that plastics are transformed into valu-
able products using the waste. Many firms and
PETase and MHETase: MHETase and PETase
belong to dozens of enzymes identified so far emerging ventures from different corners of the
for the depolymerization of PET plastics. Plastic globe are using the latest technologies to recy-
degrading enzymes are synthesized in specific cle waste plastic into valuable products. Some
microbes or bacteria and fungi whose main func- examples include:
tion is to decompose plastics in the environment. Upcycled Fashion: A number of fashion players
To improve the efficiency and capacity of these are employing upcycled plastic bottles, bags,
enzyme, researchers have been researching on and other wastes in its clothing and product lines.
these enzymes. A further analysis of various en- For example, the plastics bottles are chopped,
zyme variants – for instance, it has enabled re- melted and reextruded as yarns for production
searchers to enhance the efficiency of these en- of T-shirts, jackets, among others. These prod-
zymes in breaking down plastics. Through these ucts also assist in the reduction of the raw mate-
enzymes; the recycled bottles are returned into rial required from the natural resources and also
monomers usable with the same quality to pro- help in common internalization of decentralized
duce more bottles or even other quality prod- recycling programs.
ucts.
Building Materials: Recycled plastic can also be
Enzymatic recycling has its advantages over the applied to construction. Firms have found a way
regular recycling techniques that were earlier to convert plastics into constructive materials
discussed, including ability of recycling plastics like bricks, tiles and insulators among others. It
with less dangerous products. Moreover, no heat can also assist in the endeavor to make con-
is produced in the process that is why enzymatic
February 2025 PLASTICS NEWS 47
